Introduction to the LEXIS-NEXIS Services for Schools of Library & Information Science

1. Introduction to the LEXIS-NEXIS ServicesforSchools of Library & Information Science Prepared by: Carol S. Johnson LEXIS-NEXIS Academic & Library Services Manager, Library & Information Science Education

2. Can use same search logic across services News sources easy to understand Make searching interesting and fun Three News libraries NEWS: all news sources REGNWS: regional news, newspapers TOPNWS: last two weeks news Learn Using News Sources

3. Client software “Classic” interface Underlying organization and structure for all interfaces Aids in understanding why and how of L-N functionality, and some of the “quirks” Using Traditional LEXIS-NEXIS

4. Services structured by organizing databases into LIBRARIES and FILES Same structure beneath all platforms LIBRARY FILE DOCUMENT WORDS Organization of Services

5. A LIBRARY is a group of related information A LIBRARY may contain information of a certain TYPE, on a specific TOPIC , or for a specific GEOGRAPHIC region Organization of Services

6. NEWS Library: Newspapers Magazines Wire Services Broadcast transcripts Newsletters REGNWS Library: Regional News TOPNWS Library: Recent News (2 weeks) Libraries by TYPE

7. Differenttypes on same topic GENFED - Federal Case Law, Statutes COMPNY -- Company information ENVIRN -- Environmental information SPORTS -- Sports news, publications, bios Libraries by TOPIC

8. Different types of info from same region: North and South America Dutch German Asia Pacific Some contain non-English language sources Libraries by GEOGRAPHIC Area

9. Each LIBRARY contains FILES TWO types of FILES: INDIVIDUAL FILE Documents from a single publication, i.e The New York Times is in the NYT file Materials from one publisher, ex. ABCNEW file contains transcripts from many ABC News shows, including World News Tonight with Peter Jennings, 20/20, Good Morning America What’s in a LIBRARY?

10. GROUP FILE has multiple sources Large group files: lots of sources all full-text sources are in ALLNWS file all newspapers are in the PAPERS file Small group file: small number of sources Indiana newspapers in INNWS file What’s in a LIBRARY?

11. FILES contain DOCUMENTS The text from the source DOCUMENTS may also be referred to as: ARTICLES STORIES CASES Nomenclature varies by source We’ll use DOCUMENTS for consistency Organization of Services

12. DOCUMENTS consist of WORDS, may be: Alpha: texas or san antonio Numeric: 99.44 or 2000 Alpha-numeric: 401K or Y2K In the LEXIS-NEXIS services, a WORD is any group of characters with a space on either side Organization of Services

13. Look for area of interest, you may need to use more than ONE library or file Choose smallest FILE that will give desired results: DON’T search ALLNWS (all news), when you only want a New York Times (NYT) article In most LIBRARIES, you can combine FILES, separating with commas, for a custom search Choosing a LIBRARY and FILE

14. Boolean, using TERMS & CONNECTORS Essentially the same as other Boolean searching but language, operators and functionality are different in LEXIS-NEXIS FREESTYLE ™ feature; plain language searching (natural language) GUIDED FORM: LEXIS-NEXIS Academic Universe, LEXIS-NEXIS Universe, based on underlying Boolean search Search Options

15. Research Software 7.1.2 Customizable tool bars Gives options for Searching and Viewing in “Classic” or “Graphical” mode My favorite: Search Classic View Graphical Search Options

16. When using LEXIS-NEXIS, user is searching FULL TEXT of documents, not indexes or abstracts Can restrict search to specific portion (called SEGMENT) if user wishes Use same search logic through services, even with different interfaces Unique Searching Capabilities

17. Original LEXIS-NEXIS search logic Still used most by many customers Allows precision searching Favorite of most information professionals, librarians and researchers This is what every librarian and future librarian should learn first! Boolean Searching

18. Select an appropriate LIBRARY Choose an appropriate FILE Select the smallest FILE that will give the results you need Enter a SEARCH composed of WORDS Don’t be intimidated by LIBRARY/FILE acronyms; type number to the right of Library or FILE name to see description Boolean Search Basics

19. Choose appropriate search words to define what you’re looking for Simplify the search words Connect the search words Restrict your search results to a particular time frame (date restriction) Confine your search to a part of a document (segment searching: segment = field) Boolean Search Basics

20. A group of characters with a space on either side; may be alpha or numeric; i.e. _XXX_ Most punctuation is recognized as a space, i.e. John D. Rockefeller, 401-K An exception is the “embedded period” (a period not having a space on either side, which is viewed as a character) i.e. A.J. Foyt, 99.44 What’s a WORD?

21. NOISE WORDS: so called because they are so common inclusion adds no value Personal pronouns (he, she, they) Most forms of the verb “to be” (be, is, was) Some conjunctions (and, as, because) RESERVED WORDS: words used as part of search logic (and, or) or to identify features (lexsee, autocite) Words to Avoid

22. Make a list of words that describe topic of interest Include alternatives (synonyms, antonyms) Avoid words that are too general Think as if you were writing the document; what words would you include Adjacent words are treated as a phrase Choose Search Words

23. Automatically searches for plural and possessive forms of most regular words, i.e. if word is made plural by adding s or es or changing final letter y to ies; for example: boy finds boys, boy’s, boys’ Does not search for irregular plurals; i.e. if word ends in us or is or other irregular plural form; child does not find children Plurals & Possessives

24. Compound words using a hyphen are sometimes treated as a single word, but not always Be safe: enter both variations, i.e. anti-trust and antitrust Authors aren’t necessarily consistent! Compound Words

25. Universal characters let you include all variations of a word without entering each *holds a space for one character; may be used in middle or at end of a word; wom*n finds woman, women, woman’s and women’s ! may be used only at the end of a word root to find that root plus all variations; recycl! finds recycle, recycling, recyclable, etc.. Simplify Search Words

26. OR - finds either or both search terms; used for synonyms, antonyms or alternative expressions g.m. or gm or general motors bush or gore stock or share or equity Join Words: CONNECTORS

27. W/n - proximity connector; finds documents with words that are within some number (n) of each other (does not work across segments) bush w/10 cocaine Tip: ALWAYS use betweenfirst and last name, george w/2 bush; bill w/2 clinton Join Words: CONNECTORS

28. AND - both search terms in each document clinton and gore general motors and market share Order of operation: OR W/n (Remember n = number; n = 1-255) AND Join Words: CONNECTORS

29. On a date:date is Spell out the word isor use the arithmetic operator = date is 2000 date = January 15, 2000 date = 1/2000 NOTE: System assumes two-digit years are within past 100 years Date Searching

30. After a date:date aft Abbreviate out the word aftor use the arithmetic operator > (greater than) date aft 1999 date > Aug. 19, 1999 date > 10/99 NOTE: Month names and numbers are equivalents; use the American convention Date Searching

31. Before a date:date bef Abbreviate out the word befor use the arithmetic operator < (less than) date aft 1999 date > August 19, 1999 date > 8-99 NOTE: Systems recognizes either dash or slash Date Searching

32. Combine operators to search between two dates date aft AND date bef or date > and date < Date aft 1993 and date bef Sept. 1995 NOTE: Aft 6/30/99 does not include that date; aft 2000 would get nothing now! Date Searching

33. Parentheses ( ): use to assure that system groups words separated by a connector For example: (channel w/2 tunnel) or chunnel or (ken! w/2 starr) or (bill w/2 clinton) Quotation marks “ ”: use to search reserved words when reserved word is first or only word in the search For example: “lexsee” Special Operators

34. Sign on Enter ID (on card attached to tent card) Enter CLIENT ID to identify search Choose LIBRARY Choose FILE Enter SEARCH TERMS (transmit = Enter) Retrieve RESULTS Running a Search

35. LEXIS-NEXIS gives options: Buttons on Tool Bar Pull Down Menus Short Cuts (Dot Commands: on back of ID card) Choose what works best for you! Display and Review Results

36. KWIC: search terms highlighted, with a small block of text on either side (.kw) FULL: full-text of the document (.fu) CITE: bibliographic list of documents (.ci) VAR KWIC: larger block of text than KWIC, can be customized (.vk or .vkn) SEGMTS: views portion of document (.se) LEAD: lead paragraph of news stories (.le) Displaying Search Results

37. For most sources (including news), results display in reverse chronological order Next page (.np) Previous page (.pp) First page (.fp) Next document (.nd) Previous document (.pd) First Document (.fd) Reviewing Search Results

38. New Search (.ns): same LIBRARY & FILE Change FILE (.cf): keep LIBRARY selected ChangeLIBRARY (.cl): choose different one Segments command (.se), has three uses: 1) After search to display in SEGMENTS format or 2) After file selection to view SEGMENTS to search 3) at FILE screen, get FILE PRICES (not in MLS account) Sign off(.so): exit the LEXIS-NEXIS services Other Commands

39. Search #1: Library: NEWS File: ALLNWS Type search into Command Line of software Search: san antonio and american library association or ala Save search for future use: .keep Running a Search

40. Search #2: Library: NEWS File: 90DAYS Search: indiana or ohio or michigan w/10 snow Review results using KWIC, FULL & CITE Navigate results using NEXT PAGE, NEXT DOCUMENT, PREVIOUS PAGE, etc. Running a Search

41. When you don’t get the results you want: Modification changes the original search Type m and press ENTER; search will display Type a connector, usually AND, followed by new search words and press ENTER Type .log; click on san antonio search Modify to add: AND ala w/5 president Modifying a Search

42. FOCUS™ does not change original search “A search within a search” Always narrows results of answer set FOCUS™ multiple times on same search Retains original answer set Command: focus or .fo Using the FOCUS™ Feature

43. Type .log, click on snow search FOCUS on ski! condition Only highlights terms in your focus search Can FOCUS again, or execute EXIT FOCUS command (.ef) Using the FOCUS™ Feature

44. To highlight original search terms and focus terms, use Ctrl Q to bring original search terms into Command Line Add focus terms, can use connectors, make changes to original terms & connectors type: and ski! condition .ef to exit Using the FOCUS™ Feature

45. Although FOCUS is available in most of the services, it can’t be used: Answer set has more than 1,000 documents (can’t retrieve > 1,000 documents in educational menu) QUOTE library (not in educational menu) When you CAN’T use FOCUS

46. Use Modify to: Start with broad search Add additional words Refine search Save retyping search to make small changes Add a date restriction Expand search Use FOCUS to: Run new search words against current answer set Highlight different words in document than in the original search Save original search and return to it Modify or FOCUS - which to use

47. A SEGMENT is a part of a document SEGMENTS vary depending on SOURCE SEGMENTS for NEWS documents might include HEADLINE, BYLINE, COMPANY, etc. Proximity connectors (w/n) do not work across SEGMENTS Segment Searching

48. Great for precision searching Find words in a specific part of document NEWS;90DAYS;hlead(ala or american library) Browse documents modify or focus, if you choose Find pictures of Barbara Bush’s dog NEWS;ALLNWS;graphic(millie and dog) Segment Searching

49. Print one screen at a time Download screen by screen using “session record” feature Print or download an entire document Print or download a list of documents Full document print and/or download will occur after you sign off the online session Saving Your Search Results

50. Permits print or download requests to be completed while you are still online. No more waiting for sign off After using Print Doc or Print All and confirming request, invoke Print Now command by entering .pn Follow messages on screen Print Now - Online Printing